The spa industry has lost a true pioneer with the passing of Carole Coombs. Carole, beloved Earth Mother to all, was co-founder with her husband Alan Coombs, of Green Valley Spa, founder of the clean beauty line, Good Medicine, and co-founder of the Destination Spa Group. She was decades ahead of the spa curve and a renowned leader in the growth of the industry.
Green Valley Spa, St. George, Utah, was founded in 1986 with a simple mission. In Carole’s words, “Green Valley’s vision was to mend the heart and heal the body with programs and treatments set in the great outdoors.” Always pushing the spa envelope, Carole was intent on going way beyond the ordinary spa menu. “She was a pioneer in developing treatment options beyond traditional massage—including developing the senses to aid the healing of the mind and body through the use of sound, light, and scent therapy,” shared Alan. Carole was determined to offer guests services that she described as “addressing people’s invisible health and feelings.” By 2009, she had become immensely interested in the potential of sound and light waves and the use of “frequency medicine.”
Carole was a pioneer in developing treatment options beyond traditional massage . . .
Prior to Green Valley Spa, Carole had owned Bel Viso, a successful day spa in Salt Lake City. When Green Valley opened, Carole re-opened Bel Viso on property and invited her former clientele. News spread fast and the spa (which was situated in one of the property’s condos) grew quickly. Meanwhile, Carole was out in the desert, continuing to collect botanicals for Good Medicine.
As the spa grew, “The time had come for us to decide what we were going to do for the rest of our lives,” reminisced Alan in The Green Valley Story. “We decided to explore the possibility of expanding the spa operation and traveled to the three major spas in the west—Canyon Ranch, Golden Door, and Rancho La Puerta. These visits convinced us we could have a successful spa and improve people’s lives by introducing them to a healthy lifestyle of natural foods, hiking in our beautiful red-rock deserts, teaching them relaxation and stress reduction techniques, and offering spa treatments to heal the mind and body.”
Improving people’s lives was at the heart of everything Carole did.
Carole’s granddaughter Whitney Raymond, third-generation of Good Medicine, writes, “Carole was a brilliant creative with a tenacious appetite to see her visions come true. She was eccentric, eclectic, and will never be forgotten by those who had the pleasure of meeting her.”
Mary Bemis
A pioneering voice in spa and wellness journalism, Mary Bemis has spent four decades chronicling, championing, and helping shape the modern spa industry. As Founder and Editorial Director of Insider’s Guide to Spas, she brings a distinctive editorial perspective informed by a career that has helped define the language and landscape of spa media. Mary launched American Spa magazine in 1997, co-founded Organic Spa, and helped launch Luxury SpaFinder and NewBeauty. Her industry leadership extends to board service with ISPA, NYSPA, and WSPA, the latter two organizations she helped establish. She has also served as Special Advisor to the Balneology Association of North America. Today, she serves as Special Advisor to Global Wellness Day and sits on the board of the International Sauna Aid Foundation. Recognized among Medika Life’s Top 30 Influential Voices Transforming Wellness, Mary is also a recipient of the prestigious ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award, an inaugural Folio Top Women in Media honoree, and an American Spa Wonder Woman of Wellness. Her mission remains as steadfast as ever: to keep spa culture alive and relevant, honor its roots, challenge its shortcomings, and inspire an industry to live up to its promise.
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